Promoting HostGator? NIGHTMARE!

by bless

Posted: 12 years ago 19 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

I have tried promoting HostGator, and it's been a big disappointment.

What frustrates me beyond words is that although HostGator's service towards customers is brilliant with 24/7 chat and all, their service towards affiliates is absolutely horrible.

Listen to this:
a) When you contact live chat there is no-one there who can answer your affiliate question (for example when you want to enquire about a person you referred to HostGator that you have NOT been credited for, which happens.)

This is really NOT what bothers me, though. I don't really expect live chat replies to affiliate questions, but what follows is bad. Listen to this:

b) There is NO way to get in touch with anyone from the affiliate department via phone. It has to go via email.

c) When you email affiliates@hostgator.com they create a ticket that stays for weeks unanswered.

I have tried twice and it's a nightmare. It stays for weeks and weeks unanswered. (I see the ticket id and everything, so please don't suggest that perhaps the ticket was not submitted correctly.)

My goal has been to give away 30 websites a month, to make the hosting commission, and this would at the same time secure 360 new customers for HostGator per year.

I know 360 customers is NOTHING for HostGator, but what bothers me is what I see as a lack of respect and understanding towards people who spend both time and advertising money to get them new customers.

You are NOT valued at all.

Could anyone please give me a suggestion for another hosting company to promote that actually value their affiliates, and preferably a company that lets customers pay a few dollars a month, like HostGator.

Most companies charge for a year or more in advance.

Please help!

Thanks!
Charles

#hostgator #nightmare #promoting

JB 12 years ago

Hi Charles, have you considered using a hostgator reseller account? That's what I do for my web design business. I have full control over everything plus I can charge whatever I like. So far it's working like a dream, i get paid directly by my clients for hosting at a rate way above hostgators normal monthly fee - plus I get to brand my control panel with my own company details. Effectively giving me my own hosting company. It was tricky to setup, I was in the lucky position of having a server side specialist as a partner but I'm sure you could find someone from odesk or elsewhere to set it up exactly the way you want it - either as a hostgator reseller or branded as your own company. Hope that helps.
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- bless 12 years ago
  
  Wow! That is actually a FANTASTIC suggestion. I understand I won't miss out on sales either by doing things this way?
  
  (I had a customer sign up for HostGator via me recently. He did everything correctly, cleared his cookies and signed up via my link, and I have still NOT been credited by HostGator. This has also happened to me before as well.)
  
  Will avoid this problem by having a reseller account? Will they sign up via my paypal link or what?
  
  Thanks
  
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paul_1 12 years ago

Totally agree... You get full control of the business through a reseller account...
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pacesetter007 12 years ago

Hello Bless,
I have sent you a PM...I hope you see it.

Thanks and do have a great day.

Tim
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- Jeff Henshaw 12 years ago
  
  Will avoid this problem by having a reseller account? Will they sign up via my paypal link or what?
  
  They won't sign up via your affiliate account, as it will be your own hosting business - and it is a business, so don't jump into it lightly.
  
  Just bear in mind that you will be responsible for billing your customers and managing their accounts. You will also be expected to answer all hosting queries raised by your customers, so you will need a good understanding of Cpanel and the technicalities of webhosting in general.
  
  If you don't have the technical knowledge/ability then you will need to find a partner who does, or outsource.
  
  Just my thoughts,
  
  Jeff.
  
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  bless 12 years ago
  
  Thanks a lot, Jeff!
  
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Kingfish85 12 years ago

X2 on what Jeff said. If you know nothing about the industry, don't play with peoples data. We already get a bad name as web hosts because of people not knowing what they're doing.
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hellow0rld 12 years ago

To be honest, reseller hosting is best left for web development companies and even then, I have a few who are affiliates as they don't want the hassle of dealing with customers hosting issues.

I have an affiliate program that offers 50% recurring. Feel free to shoot me a dm or email the contact page on my site.
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affiliatecopywriter 12 years ago

If I'm correct Host Gator's affiliate program is run in-house. I joined their program but I haven't really had time to aggressively promote it. You might want to ask around to see if their affiliates get paid what they earn.
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Bill Farnham 12 years ago

Originally Posted by bless

I have tried promoting HostGator, and it's been a big disappointment.

There was a post on here a few years ago where someone said they spent $20,000 on PPC driving traffic to a HG affiliate (theirs) sign-up page hoping to make a killing.

He said he never got credit for the sales because HG didn't like the way things were done.

Count your blessings...

~Bill
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sbucciarel Banned 12 years ago

I stopped promoting Hostgator as an affiliate long time ago. They're great host but lousy affiliate program. Most of the time I didn't get paid for referrals. I gave my link to a friend to use and he used it. I never got credit at all for that one and there were others ... customers that I referred and nothing. Every so often, I'd get credit for a sale from an ebook link or some long forgotten link, but I don't promote them anymore. Don't know of a replacement hosting co that would be better, but the reseller hosting is a good idea. I have it.
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- cwilliams6009 12 years ago
  
  I've been promoting Hostgator . . . I'll definitely have to rethink. Thanks for reporting this.
  
  I was promoting Ipage which I love! But, they didn't like my site, too commercial in their opinion (what? This is not a charitable endeavor for me -- I do plan to make money off it!)
  
  I may revisit the Ipage option.
  
  Thanks
  
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Trehee 12 years ago

Accept the fact that Hostgator is great for the customer and horrible for the affiliate. I think 1 out of 4 referrals is my current average for getting paid! Nothing you can really do about it.
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- Kay King 12 years ago
  
  Several years ago HG was fine for affiliates and I made some good money with their affiliate program.
  
  I stopped promoting it only because Hostgator is so well known and so widely recommended now it's not worth promoting to me. There are so many who sign up for one month and then don't pay again (you don't get paid) or sign up for the cheap first month and never pay again (you don't get paid). I've seen people complain "not fair" but no company is going to pay a $50 commission or whatever it is now for a customer who paid $4 or less one time.
  
  The best time I've found to promote something like HG is when the company is hungry and growing fast - once it becomes huge, affiliates are no longer as valuable to the company and sales are harder to get, too.
  
  That said, HG did pay me for my affiliates sales with no problem - the only ones that didn't get paid were those who dropped out. The drop out number grew much higher 3-4 years ago and I dropped out as an affiliate.
  
  kay
  
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  ksaday 12 years ago
  
  I gave my link to a friend to use and he used it. I never got credit at all for that one and there were others.
  
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seobro 12 years ago

Host gator = night mare. I do agree. Where did these clowns learn customer service anyway? They remind me of sears. It use to be an excellent company once. Yeah, a long time ago. Sadly, that is not any longer our case...
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JeremiahSay 12 years ago

I've been promoting hostgator for quite sometime now, and it's true that sometimes you won't get credit for referring someone.. because that person is inactive (no website in his/her hosting account), or have un-subscribed within the first 2 months etc..

Personally, I think they have no choice but to place a very strict rule on their affiliate program because they are charging monthly recurring fee to all their clients (unlike most hosting companies which charges a year basis)..

What's really pain in the neck is, I need to wait at least 2 months for hostgator to send my affiliate check.. for instance: I referred abc to hostgator on January.. I could only receive my credit on march, april or even June (sometimes).. WOW!!

Alternatively you could try bluehost.. I think they have quite a reasonable payout too.. $65/affiliate.. But they are charging per year basis..

Hope this help,
Jeremiah

P.S. Reseller Program is something you might want to consider too
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rooze 12 years ago

Hostgator is a great company with an excellent approach to customer service and technical support.

Unfortunately they seem to have annexed the affiliate part of their operation and the philosophy enforced within the 'parent' operation hasn't rippled through.

I have extensive experience as a reseller, which has been 98% positive, and very limited experience as an affiliate which has been 98% negative.

All the negative experiences come from dealing with the same person, so I think it's a case of one bad apple causing the whole barrel to become tainted.

Please fix it HG.
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- gvsridhar171 12 years ago
  
  have you created "coupon code" for yourself. more than your affiliate link, hostgator considers coupon code more powerful. you will end up losing sales if you don't create a coupon code.
  
  i have been a successful affiliate of hostgator. i sell more than 60 websites a month and i do have problems with the customers but not with hostgator's service. every single sale is tracked well. I get immediate confirmation by email and when i check my commission page, it is reflected. but it takes 2 days to reflect in the commission page which we should give them this time because they have the habit of verifying with the customers who have signed up.
  
  their default coupon "SUMMER" OR "SPRING" should be removed and ask your customers to use your coupon code. If you need any help on "how to create coupon code" PM me and I will help you.
  
  Don't give up hostgator. Very rare to get any other good hosting service providers.
  
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